


My Tiny Bit of Light

by FandomLastsForever



Series: RWBY Rarepair Week! [3]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Alternate Universe - Role Reversal, General Taiyang Xiao Long, Ghosts, Implied/Referenced Character Death, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Signal Teacher James Ironwood, This started as fluff and turned into something darker
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-15
Updated: 2017-09-15
Packaged: 2018-12-30 01:57:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,327
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12098196
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FandomLastsForever/pseuds/FandomLastsForever
Summary: General Taiyang Xiao Long visits Vale for the first time in over a year and reunites with James. But as the evening continues on, he realizes that things aren't quite as they appear.





	My Tiny Bit of Light

**Author's Note:**

> Day 3 of Rarepair week! Went with the Role-Reversal prompt for this one and kind of went in a completely different direction than initially intended.

The sun set slowly began to set over the City of Vale as Taiyang stood on the end of the empty landing bay, arms folded behind him as he stood up straight. It was strange for Ozpin to call him out for a talk. Normally if he was needed, he'd be brought to the headmaster's office.

Nevertheless, he waited patiently as his blue gaze traced along the edges of the horizon.

 _The girls will probably be in their dorms preparing for bed,_ he thought. _I really should have gone to visit them. It's been too long since we've had dinner together._

Yang and Ruby had insisted on attending Signal and Beacon over Atlas when it came time for them to start school. He wasn't about to stop them. They were more than capable of handling themselves on the battlefield. Had they attended Atlas, they most certainly have it to the Specialists. But they chose to stay in Vale, and they were happy. That's what mattered most. Qrow made sure that the kids were well looked after, and they had good teachers. And Ozpin kept him updated on their progress, so everything was fine.

Except at that moment. He could have sworn he'd been standing there for an hour at least waiting for the Headmaster to show up. He had other things he could be doing with his time. His right side had been needing a tuneup for the last few hours. His students could be in need of help with their studies. Perhaps some extra training time with the students who weren't partaking in the Tournament. With all the competitors taking up most of the training halls, a lot of students might be in need of aid.

And he had other places he needed to visit in Vale before the festivities were complete. He had to swing by the flower shop, and then hop on the ferry to Patch. Ask Glynda to come with and call Qrow as well.

There were things he should be doing. Someone he should be visiting.

But Taiyang remained still as he waited for Ozpin to join him.

_"So what're you doing out here all alone, Xiao Long?"_

Tai held back a smirk as he kept his eyes focused forward. "Ozpin wanted to talk to me. What about you Mr. Ironwood?"

James let out a gentle chuckle and straightened his blue button up, his cargo shorts hanging loosely from his waist.

"Heard you were in town. Figured Signal could hand a few days without me."

"You do realize me being in Vale isn't a legitimate reason to leave work and play hooky, right?"

"True," James conceded. "But the Vytal festival is. They need all the help they can get, can't they?"

"I suppose..."

James tilted his head, his smile fading briefly. "Something wrong, Tai-Tai?"

"First," Taiyang grumbled, "don't call me Tai-Tai. It's Taiyang."

"You've never stopped me from calling you that back home."

Taiyang looked up at him, his arms falling to his sides as his shoulders slumped forward. Seeing James had been near the top of his to do list since he'd left Atlas. But now that he was there, there felt as if there were a giant wall to climb.

_Had things always been this hard?_

"I know," Taiyang sighed. "I'm sorry James, it's just...things have been pretty hard since I last saw you..." He gently rolled his right shoulder, trying to work out the pain in the wires. "I know I should have called or come visit but-"

"It's okay," James interjected. "Tai, you're the most important man in Atlas. It's fine."

"But-"

James put a light hand to Tai's left shoulder, smiling down at him fondly. "You're Taiyang. Xiao. Long. Atlas' Shining Dragon. You don't have to take time out of your busy schedule to come and see me." His left hand gently caressed Tai's cheek, and his eyes glowed vibrantly in the golden light. "But since you seem to be wanting to spend time with me, I'm not going to object to you and me having dinner. We can head back to Patch in one of your little ships and be back before anyone notices we're gone."

Tai's eyes wandered over James' figure, taking in every detail. The dark navy bandana on the upper left arm, the black leather vest, the spaulder polished to shine. The holster that held his favorite pistol resting against his hip. James' five o'clock shadow, the way his hair fell into his face.

His eyes always seemed to hold the answers to whatever was on his mind, and he always knew just what to say.

 _Oh by the Gods,_ Tai thought. _Why does he have to be so perfect?_

"James," Tai murmured, pulling away. "Things aren't that simple..."

"Why can't they be? You're here, and I'm here. We should be spending time together."

Taiyang felt his heart aching as he tried to remain calm and composed. He truly wanted to spend time with James. He wanted to let the General's facade crumble and to fall into the calming arms of the teacher he'd found happiness with.

_Maybe I can...just for a little bit..._

"I can't just up and leave," Tai said. "But...could you stay and talk with me until Oz shows up?"

James looked at him, perplexed. "You want to just talk?"

"Sure. I want to hear about your students. Tell me about Signal. Have things changed since I moved back to Atlas?"

James smiled and began to ramble about the new renovations they were making to the school. They were adding a new docking bay, adding more classrooms, and expanding the dorms. They were even having new teachers joining the main staff.

If things went well, James was in for a promotion to Headmaster of Signal Academy.

"That's wonderful!" Taiyang gasped. "James, I'm so proud of you!"

"Nothing is concrete yet," James chuckled in embarrassment. "I've still got to wait for the board of directors to decide if I'm fit for the job. In the meantime, I'll be taking some missions around the kingdom." He gave Tai a light nudge on the arm. "Maybe we can go on one together."

"You know, that's actually not a bad idea."

_"What's not a bad idea?"_

Taiyang straightened up and instinctively folded his hands behind his back as he turned to look at the newcomer. Familiar red eyes, a long red cape, and feathery black hair sticking out and about.

"Hello Qrow," Tai greeted fondly. "It's been a while. How're you?"

"I'm okay," Qrow shrugged. "How've things been up north, General?"

"Things have been fine."

"That's good...Um..."

"Is there something wrong?"

"It's just, uh," Qrow stammered, burying his hands in his pockets. "Who...are you talking to?"

"I was just talking to-" he started, only to be taken aback when he turned and saw that his companion wasn't present. Where James once stood was now nothing but empty space.

And for some reason, he couldn't help but feel hollow.

"Never mind," Tai said. "Where's Oz?"

"They had to break up a food fight," Qrow chuckled. "Guess who caused the havoc this time around."

"It wouldn't happen to be our favorite little girls, would it?"

"Not so little anymore. They wrecked the entire cafeteria."

The two of them shared a laugh and slowly made their way back toward the school. With every step Taiyang felt as if a weight had been dropped onto his back. But he stood tall, trying hard to keep up the act of the strong and stoic leader as passerby gossiped to each other.

_"Isn't that General Xiao Long?"_

_"The Shining Dragon? What's he doing so far down south?"_

_"His daughters go to Beacon. He's probably here for the festival."_

_"Wasn't he invited to attend that commemoration at Signal? I heard he skipped out."_

_"Yeah, but he was in the hospital-"_

"Ignore them," Qrow grumbled. "They like to gossip. And until the Tournament starts, they'll take whatever they can get."

"I don't mind," Taiyang muttered. "I've gotten used to it since I've been back at work."

Qrow made an exaggerated gasp, a hand covering his mouth in feigned shock. "Atlesians gossiping? Who'd have thought?" When Taiyang managed a soft chuckle, Qrow wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "Do they joke about your long coat too?"

"No, they don't."

"Good, cuz only I get to make fun of your stupid long coat."

"Dumb bird."

"Rusty scales."

Taiyang playfully lifted Qrow's arm off him and stood up straight as they approached the steps to Beacon tower. Most of the campus was clearing out for the evening, only a few students lingering close to the nearby fountains. On the steps was a small black and white corgi making soft grunts and barks as he lay on his back, receiving belly rubs from James, who was now wearing a suit.

"Hey there Zwei," Taiyang greeted, kneeling down to join in pampering the pup. "Having fun?"

"He comes here every day," Qrow snickered. "Just lays there and rolls about barking at himself."

"Barking at himself?" Tai looked up at James, only to see he'd vanished again.

"Yep. It's like he's got an imaginary friend or something. Weird huh?"

"Yeah...weird..."

Qrow placed a hand on Taiyang's shoulder, worry dripping from his lips as he spoke. "Tai? You okay?"

"I'm alright." Taiyang stood upright and adjusted his tie. "I think I'll keep going from here. Can you check up on the girls? Tell them I'll be by to visit soon?"

Without waiting for an answer, he hurried and got on the elevator, letting out a sigh of relief as the door closed. He leaned against the wall, trying to make sense of what was going on.

"What the hell is happening?" he groaned. "Something's not right. My mind's playing tricks."

_"That's just your Inner Specialist talking."_

Taiyang looked to his left, taking note of James' change in appearance yet again. This time it was just a t-shirt and jeans, with his entire right arm covered in a cascade of vines. "Why do you keep popping in and out, James? I thought you wanted to spend time with everyone."

"I'm not the one popping in and out, Tai. I've been here the entire time."

The elevator reached the top floor, and Taiyang turned and headed out, leaving James behind. The familiar verdant hues of the Headmaster's office seemed slightly off-color that evening. There were a few new portraits hanging along the wall. Ozpin had started recently taken to painting, and the pictures they created were incredibly lifelike. But like the room itself, the paintings also seemed different. Slightly more sinister.

One of them was just a blank canvas.

"Welcome back Taiyang," Oz greeted, rubbing their temples. "My apologies, I know I was the one who-"

"It's alright," Tai hummed. "I heard my sunny little dragon and flower child caused quite a stir today."

Oz held back a snicker as they went to pour tea. "That's the understatement of the century. If Glynda wasn't here, I don't know what we'd have done about that hole in the roof."

 ** _"They did what?!"_ ** James gasped from behind Oz's chair, now dressed in his flannel pajamas.

"I'll pay for the damages," Tai promised.

"No need," Oz chuckled. "Come, have a cup of tea. Let's chat."

"Is that really a good idea?" James asked. "Don't you have places to be, Tai?"

Taiyang took a seat across from Ozpin, gingerly taking the cup. "Thank you. I definitely need this."

"What you need," James said softly, "is to get. Going. You know this."

Ozpin took a sip from his cup, jotting down a few notes with his free hand. Taiyang couldn't understand it. How could Ozpin ignore him so easily? It'd be one thing if it were Qrow, or one of the members of the council.

_But how could Ozpin just ignore James like that?_

"I wanted to talk to you about your ships," Oz began. "I know you want to have a couple stationed here until the end of the Festival-"

"Is there a problem with that?" Taiyang asked, trying to ignore the pacing James was doing.

"Yes," James groaned.

"No," Oz replied. "I was surprised you brought so many. You see-"

Taiyang tried to concentrate on the conversation. He knew Ozpin meant well, that they were worried such forces might breed fear among the populace. It was the same song and dance they'd gone over every year. It had become so routine that it always had to make its way into their tea talks.

Taiyang didn't mind. Routine meant no changes. Routine meant safety.

_Safety._

"Tai, we gotta go," James said.

"Go where?"

Ozpin raised an eyebrow. "I didn't say anything about going anywhere."

Taiyang looked back to Oz and then to where James had been standing. Once again, James was gone.

"Taiyang?" Ozpin asked. "Are you feeling alright?"

"I'm fine," Taiyang managed, his teeth clenched together as he felt the entire room seemingly begin to grow smaller.

"Are you sure? You look as if you haven't been sleeping."

"I said I'm fine!" he spat.

Silence filled the room, and Ozpin's golden brown eyes stared at him in shock.

"Listen, Oz...can we talk tomorrow? I just...I have someplace I need to be tonight."

Once again, without waiting for an answer, he left the office, catching a glimpse of a silhouette on the once empty canvas. Once again, he was joined on the elevator by the brilliant blue eyes of James Ironwood.

"Tai, you need your rest," James urged. "You haven't been sleeping for days."

"I'm not resting," Tai hissed. "I have to go home."

"You're going back to Atlas?"

"Atlas isn't my home."

Taiyang hurried out of Beacon tower and back toward the docks, taking one of the solo ships by himself. Zwei rested by his chair, having run to keep up with him once he saw Taiyang coming back out. He could have taken the ferry. That probably would have looked better.

But he didn't care about how it'd look.

He just needed to get to Patch as fast as possible.

"Taiyang," James begged. "Come on, man. You gotta relax."

"Just shut up for a bit, please!" Tai screamed.

James remained quiet for the rest of the flight, and soon enough, Taiyang arrived on the little island off the coast just as the sun had completely set. He landed his ship in a clearing not too far from the nearby cliffside, and proceeded to make his way down a long dirt path. He could hear the howling of Beowolves nearby.

_I know I should have stayed at the ship. But I just can't be on there alone. I need to go home._

_Home. Home. Home._

The world seemed to blur as Taiyang finally arrived at the cabin in the woods. He burst into a smile and ran right at the door, not once taking notice that it was still unlocked.

"I'm home!" he called as he entered the living room. "Anyone there?"

There wasn't any answer.

Taiyang hung his coat on the nearby rack and gave himself a tour. Everything seemed exactly as it had been before he had left. The pictures of his time in team STRQ remained on the shelves, the kitchen was spotless, and there wasn't a speck of dust anywhere to be found. If he had to guess, someone was keeping the place clean for him.

"Pretty dark in here," he said. He switched on the lights, only to watch them flicker out again. "Guess I'll have to get the electrical done. I'm sure that won't take long."

Zwei waddled over to where the family portrait hung near the stairs, whining pitifully at the photograph until Tai came to see what it was.

He was in his dress blues, standing tall as he held the hands of James, who wore his favorite suit. The girls were wearing long white dresses with gold and silver belts for Yang and Ruby respectively. Both of them held flowers in their hands while Qrow and Glynda stood on either side.

"That was when we said 'I do'," Tai whispered. "Only a year ago."

"You remember what happened after that?" James asked softly, wrapping his arms around Tai's shoulders.

"Yes, I do..." He slowly turned around, eyes pricked with tears as James vanished again. "We got called away. It was an emergency. A horde somehow got dropped into downtown Mantle. We had to help evacuate."

James reappeared on the stairs. "You promised we'd make it back in time for the school year."

"I know," Tai croaked, chasing after James. "I promised we'd take care of it quickly. I had plenty of men with me. It shouldn't have been that hard."

James vanished again, and Taiyang continued up the stairs, heading toward the master bedroom.

"And then?"

Taiyang entered the room, a chill rolling down his spine as he saw the empty bed. The moonlight poured in through the window, covering the walls with its silver glow. He slowly walked over to the bed, his blue eyes resting on the broken revolver on the night stand.

"And then we killed the Grimm," he sniffled. "I was so broken they had to replace my entire right side and you...Jimmy...you..."

James reappeared, sitting on the bed in his favorite shirt and cargo shorts. His entire body glowed blue, and he was partially see through.

"I guess," Tai stammered. "I guess this means your dream of being Signal's Headmaster aren't happening..."

"You finally remember?" James asked kindly.

Taiyang sank to his knees, ripping the glove off his right hand to reveal the metallic fingers beneath. "I never forgot. I couldn't, no matter how hard I tried."

James smiled fondly as Taiyang crossed his arms and began to cry into his lap. He ran his fingers soothingly through the curling blond hair. "It wasn't your fault. You did what you could. You saved an entire city."

 ** _"But I lost you!"_** Taiyang wailed. "You weren't supposed to die! You were supposed to be the one that survived! I promised I'd protect you and I failed! I failed and now you're-"

"I'm not gone, Tai-Tai. I'm still here, even if you can't see me."

Taiyang looked up, nuzzling into the touch of someone's hand brushing away the tears.

"Tai-Tai," James said softly. "It wasn't your fault. Sometimes bad things just happen. It's part of life. What matters now, is that you don't let it hold you back. You can do anything you set your mind to." He pressed a tender kiss to Tai's forehead. "You're my Tai-Tai. My tiny bit of light that makes all the darkest moments of life worth fighting for."

"James-"

"I love you, Taiyang." James lightly pulled Taiyang onto the bed, curling up with him and pulling the blanket all the way to his shoulders. "Now please...get some rest...I'm counting on you to keep our family safe. Can you do that for me, General Sassy Pants?"

Tai managed a smile and nodded, his eyes heavy with exhaustion. "I can do that...And James?"

"Yes Tai?"

"Wait for me on the other side, okay? I'll be there eventually."

"I'll always wait for you." James leaned in close, pressing a chaste kiss to Tai's lips. "Good night, My Light."

"Good night James...I love you..."

Come morning James would finally be gone and the house would be full of people. Winter will probably have come running after him, with Qrow and the girls not far behind. Ozpin would be worried for sure. He'd go to get his cybernetics adjusted, and if the Atlesian Council got wind of this, they'd see to is that General Xiao Long be placed on sick leave for quite a while.

But that was what was to come. For now, Taiyang remained calmed in his beloved's arms as he drifted off to sleep, praying for this moment to last for as long as possible.

**Author's Note:**

> So writing this I kinda went with the idea of Taiyang having moved forward after Raven leaving and after losing Summer, and how he might react to losing a third significant other.
> 
> Originally it was just going to be straight up fluff but then I thought "What if one of them was a ghost?" and my mom added the part about Zwei being able to see James.
> 
> Sorry for any feels that are had! I hope you enjoyed this story!
> 
>  
> 
> _I am slowly filling this entire tag. Wish me luck._


End file.
